About Lisa Thomson

Inspired by the Impressionists, Lisa loves to inject brilliant light in her paintings, and uses vibrant colors.

Lisa’s parents introduced her, from an early age, to appreciate the grandeur of nature. Using primarily oils, Lisa strives to capture nature’s beauty on canvas, using the subtleties of light as a dominant theme. In her paintings, she tries to capture the essence of natural life – the grand vistas of the prairies, the power of the mountains, playful colors in gardens and the peacefulness of water. She has been painting for more than 30 years and has studied under a number of artists. Over this time she has worked with different media, explored various styles and experimented with different color palettes.

Photography is another of Lisa’s passions, and she often uses her camera to capture the scenes that she paints.

Lisa was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and resides there with her husband and two children. She is an avid skier, runner and swimmer, and spends a lot of time in the mountains, and at Sylvan Lake. She is an active member of the Foothills Artists Society and participates in various art-related community events.

"Painting is an all-consuming part of my life. I started painting as a teen, and as the years go by, I have had my share of struggles and triumphs. Exploring different media, subject matter, styles and tools, I have reached a point where I am no longer afraid to experiment and express myself on canvas.

I am most inspired by the nature scenes in my world. These are typically snow and mountains in the winter, flowers, prairie and water in the summer. I feel truly blessed to be able to enjoy the beauty surrounding me.

I love painting because I lose myself in space and time. I formulate my paintings during the course of everyday life, before I even reach for a brush. I usually capture the image with my camera, and then my mind reflects on the scene in the pool, on a run, and driving around the city. I examine trees, sky, light and colors in the world surrounding me. When it comes time to do the physical painting, my brain somehow knows what to do, and I get into an otherworldly zone for hours. Time has no meaning, and when I finally “come to”, I look at the painting, and wonder “Did I do that?” I know that the best paintings I do are those that spew out onto the canvas in a single session, and are effortless. These don’t happen often, but when they do, it’s magical."